I totally agree with the part about not letting grip interfere with training the muscke you are actually targeting. Since I've started using straps my progression on back has been great.

I do my warm up sets without straps then use them for working sets. Well I use versa grips.

To me grip strength isn't import as I don't compete in powerlifting, oly lifting ect. However even using straps which allowed me to progress with the weight I can use on back exercises has still increased my grip strength to what it was when I was stalled on the weight I could lift due to grip weakness.

What about incorporating straps into my top set of close-grip cable rows at the end of a diet? I previously didn't need them, but it greatly improved my ability to crank out that top set. It was like night and day with and without them.

I work my grip separately, and strength is fine there. What I had assumed was my cable row strength declining seems perfectly fine with straps (strength in all other exercises were fine as well, including other back exercises).

I think alot of people assume that straps will only help if your grip is physically giving out...like if the bar is actually slipping out of your hands and causing you to be unable to complete the set. What I notice though is that without the straps it almost seems like their is some degree of muscle strength inhibition of all the muscles being worked in the exercise. You can see this by doing a set without straps, and then putting on the straps for the next set and suddenly the weight feels lighter, and is moving faster/more snappy...

Nice article Lyle. You present a very common sense approach espoused by other experience lifters. And +1 for chalk.

My general approach has been to use chalk first, then proceed to straps. I have small hands and my palms get sweaty. My gym also has an odd mix of thinner and thicker bars and I can't always get the thinner bar when I need to. Chalk is a life saver when I have to deadlift with the thicker bars.

And the easy way to not be a jerk when using chalk is to keep it in a bag, dust your hands in the bag and clap them a couple of times in the bag so you don't send a dust cloud flying everywhere. My gym gets pretty chapped about dropping weights (hey, cut me some slack, I am doing a clean and jerk!) but they don't say anything about the chalk.